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Anikom15

Banned

From: United States

Registered: 2009-04-30

Posts: 836

Website

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

IMO the less hinting the better, unless you use aliased fonts. "Full" hinting makes all the fonts look similar. Mac OS X has the most beautiful fonts and they don't use hinting. However, if your dpi is less than 100, some hinting can benefit.

<?xml version='1.0'?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM 'fonts.dtd'>
<fontconfig>
    <match target="font">
        <edit name="autohint" mode="assign">
            <bool>true</bool>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle">
            <const>hintslight</const>
        </edit>
    </match>
</fontconfig>

PS: To help Kourosh, I'm willing to bet increasing your font from 8 to 10 will help.

Last edited by Anikom15 (2010-02-28 01:14:55)

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brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

There's a new freetype patch available to try. I reckon it's ripe for someone to create a new freetype-infinality AUR package

jxy

Member

Registered: 2008-12-03

Posts: 133

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

Do we still need bytecode.patch for freetype2-2.4.0?  I see it has

#define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER
/* #define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNPATENTED_HINTING */
#undef TT_CONFIG_OPTION_COMPONENT_OFFSET_SCALED

already in the file ftoption.h

I'm not quite sure whether to turn on the last option "TT_CONFIG_OPTION_COMPONENT_OFFSET_SCALED" or not -- bytecode.patch defines it, though.

I'm currently testing the infinality patch on 2.4.0 without the bytecode.patch.

jxy

Member

Registered: 2008-12-03

Posts: 133

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

So I uploaded the package freetype2-infinality 2.4.0-1.  It's my first package.  So let me know if anything breaks.

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

jxy, well done

freetype2-2.4.0 already sets the bytecode interpreter on, so it's at the correct setting already.

For TT_CONFIG_OPTION_COMPONENT_OFFSET_SCALED, Windows is the standard-setting OS currently, so fonts are most-tested against Windows, so we are safest doing the same as Windows. Heck, in my vast font-tweaking experience, I've never even seen anyone mention a difference. I've set it in the past, and not noticed a difference, although I didn't look particularly hard.

Last edited by brebs (2010-07-14 20:03:27)

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

@brebs: it looks good, especially on older fonts like arial the difference is quite dramatic. i don't really like the amount of hinting on some bold modern fonts though, for instance on dejavu bold the hinting becomes too strong.

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ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,772

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

One thing I've not seen mentioned.  On an LCD display, ensure you are using it at it's native resolution.  Anything else is just a compromise.  Unlike a CRT, LCD's have a fixed number of pixels in fixed locations.  Trying to map a 1027 x 768 display onto, say, a 1280x1024 LCD requires the controller to try to scale them up.  Unfortunately, non-integer scale ratios make an aliased mess.

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brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

on dejavu bold the hinting becomes too strong

One simple algorithm is never going to be perfect. If the DPI on monitors were 300+, this would not be an issue.

on older fonts like arial the difference is quite dramatic

One of the few fontconfig tweaks that I'm still using, is to replace Arial when small.

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Eye Strain and Font Rendering in Linux compared to Windows

freetype 2.4.2 is out. See link for updated infinality patch.